Mother's Day Weekend with the Dirt Series Ladies
This past Mother’s Day weekend I was fortunate enough to
attend the Trek Dirt Series mountain
bike camp for women in sunny Santa Cruz, CA. This was my third year attending and the
weather was perfect: warm and clear with the perfect occasional cooling ocean
breeze. The Trek Dirt Series provide weekend long mountain bike camps in Western Canada and the Western part of the US where riders can get technical coaching and instruction.
The camp began each day at the host bike shop. In Santa Cruz it was Epicenter; a fantastic bike shop with
great owners who understand mountain biking is evolving and drawing more female
participants and consumers every year.
Walking in with my bike on the first day, I was instantly sucked into the excitement and supportive environment that is
brimming in the bike shop. Everyone was happy
and chatty and excited to get started.
Candace Shadley, who is the creator of this awesome camp, and is always
present with an everlasting smile and endless motivational support.
The camp prepared months in advance by
dissecting a skills worksheet participants submitted after signing up for
camp. Each participant was placed in
different groups based on their skill set and what they wanted to
accomplish at camp.
After a few announcements and details about our day we
identified our field clinics and riding group then headed to the field at Harbor
High School.
Each clinic and riding group was lead by amazingly hard working, talented, and inspirational female coaches (previously our own Lindsay Beth Currier) who have not only been officially certified to
teach mountain biking, but also primed to coach the Dirt Series way.
Following a morning of basic bike maneuvering and a technical
skills clinic we enjoy a nice catered lunch in the shade. We spend our time chatting it up with new
friends before scurrying off to the destination of our afternoon rides.
My Saturday ride group ended up at Wilder Ranch
State Park on the West side of Santa Cruz.
Although I have ridden here many times before, with a new group of women
and an experienced coach like Penny
Cameron (also Trans Rockies and BC Bike Race finisher and all around bad
ass athlete) it felt different. We
sessioned drops I hadn't noticed before and practiced some serious straight-line
riding. Hot, tired, but happy we headed
back to the shop for dinner and bike maintenance clinics.
On Sunday morning after announcements, a sweet
raffle, hours on the field practicing jumps, drops, front wheel lifts, and a
delicious lunch, my group rode to De Laveaga.
The ride was lead by coach Sylvi Fae, who in addition to being an
amazing mountain biker runs her own camp in Moab. De Laveaga is another park I am very familiar
with but just like with my ride at Wilder, I found myself impressed with
different trails I hadn’t noticed and challenged with employing new skills to some tricky tight uphill switchback.
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While I definitely recommend trying a mountain bike camp
like this, I also offer
this warning: These camps are
addictive. Once you try it, you may end
up like me, coming back year after year even on Mother's Day.
